Utilization of maize-ears for the production of alcohol.



Originlapplleation filed March 11, 1907, Serial No. 361,654. Divided andthis application filed October 15, 1907, Serial No. 397,577. Renewed Oct1 her, and at this time, as stated in said patent UNITED STATES PiiiliENT OFFICE.

UTILIZATION OF MAIZE -EARS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALCOHOL.

To uttuihom it may coaee;

Be it known that l, hnianeis .li. a citizen of the United States,residing at Murrysville, in the county ol \Yestnun'eland and State ofPennsj 'lvania, have invented certain new and uselnl improvements in thel tilizatio'nol )laizedhiis l'or the Production of Aleol'iol, of whichthe iollmvin r is a specification. a

My invention relates to the obtaining of commercial products irom corn.particularly maize or Indian corn.

My present application is a division of my tt'ppllfllliifill SerialNumber 301,054, liled ,l lareh ii, 100?.

l have discovered that by removing the ear while in the milk, or at thetime specified ,in my U. lietters Patent No. 811,523,

dated January 30, 1006, and at the same time i stripping with the greenand immature ears the loot stalk and enveloping husks,l can uets.

notfonly is the percentage of sugar in the remaining; growingstalkslargely increased .during the Further growing period, thus atl'ording animproved commercial process 5 for obtaining sugar; but at the same time1 the removed ears, together with their husks and Yl oot stalks can betreated according to i the present process, and other improved productsobtained.

in carrying out my process, l preferably proceed as .tollowsz- -'lheimmature ears,

husks' and oot alks ilucked at about the time when the ear is in themilk or the atn'iospheres.

ereolarmg or drainingtank, and alter the ,uid part has been run of? thewet, pulpy :the steps whichconsistingrinding the inunaroasting period,are "round up or reduced to a line pulp by any suitable llltLCllllm.

a hcatingliank or digester, together with about an equal volume of waterstrongly acidulated with either oxalic or sull'uric acid. ()thcr mineralacids may be used for the same purpose. although I prel'er the acidsnamed. The mixture, il' intrmluced into an open heater, should then beheated for about l\\'o hours to a. tenqierature of about Bill" l.: andil introduced into a closed digest-er it is heated for about an :hourunder a pressure ol' about three lt is then transferred into aSpecification of Letters Patent.

ober 19, 1908.

the ordinary manufactm'e of alcohol.

The ground material is then transfer-real into at about the timementioned.

therelmre provides lor the obtaining of valu-,

?aten.ted May 2-5, 1909.

Serial No. 458,489.

matter is passed through a roller press or other machine capable ofextracting the re mainder oi the liquid. 'lhis remaining liquid and t eliquid part first. run oil', which contain the sacel'iaril'ied starchesand other l ermentable materials. are mixed together and passed into a.tank, where it is treated with carbonate ol lime, if oxalic acid hasbeen used in the previous acidification, or an alkali, it another acidhas been used, until sullicient has been introduced to neutralize theacid and render theliquid slightly alkaline, as indicated by litmus orphenolphalein test pa ierf By this treatment, the wort or l'ermentabloliquid is purified and a precipitate is obtained from the liquid as aby-product, which l have :appears to consist. largely of albuminousobtain several improved commercial prodliy removing the ears in this manmatter. The purified wort, or liquid con taining the lermentable matterfrom which this precipitate is obtained is then racked oil' into afermenting vat; and it the opera tion has been properly tainducted willhave a specific gravity of about 1.080 or a density of about 11 Baume,and will be free from impurities, which wouldotherwise impede or hinderits fermentation. .ln the fermenting vat it is broughtto the propertemperature, and then tormented and distilled as in The alcohol thusproduced Will be equal in all respects to that made from other sources.

'lhe press-cake, or hall-dried, pulpy residuum is then further treatedas described in my aforesaid applicationSerial Number 2301,0541, [or thel'urther recm'ery iVali1:il)le commercial products.

The advantages. of my invention result l'rom the discovery that thesevaluable prod ucts, namely, alcohol and the precipitate above relerredto, may be obtained lrom the field or lndian'eorn when the ear isplucked This process able products lrom' corn, where the stalk ot. theplant is to be treated. in accordance with my patent above referred tofor the production of suga r. I

l. c'lain1:; 1. lnlthe method of utilizing ears of maize,

ture ears and husks and heating the ground mass with Water; separatingthe liquid from the pulpy mass; and then adding a reagent to andseparating 'an organic precipitate from the liquid.

2. In the method of utilizing ears of maize the steps which consist ingrinding the imn'iawhile t 1e kernel is in the milk; grinding the earsand husks, heating the ground mass with water and an acid separating theliquid which consists in grinding the immature ears and husks heatingthe ground mass with aeidulated Water; separating the liquid from thepulp, adding an alkali to the liquid and thereby forming an organicpreci )itate separating. the precipitate from the iquid; and thenferlnentinga-nd distilling the liquid.

5. The method of utilizing ears of maize, which consists in grinding theears and husk While the kernel is in the milk; mixing the ground masswith strongly aeidulated water; heating the mass; separating the liquidfrom the pulp; adding an alkali until the liquid is slightly alkaline bytest and thereby forming a precipitate; separating the precipitate fromfrom the pnlpy inass; adding an alkali to the l liquid to form anorganic precipitate; and then separating the precipitate from theliquid.

4. The method of utilizing ears of maize,

the liquid and then fermenting and distilling the liquid to recover thealcohol.

In testimony wherein", l have hereunto set.

my hand.

l liA NCIS ll. SllGVr'A lfi. Witnesses lino. l3. Bnanmo,

(I. P. BYRNES.

